Christian inspiration

[alaric99x]

We have no fear, the lord will protect us, we dance with poison snakes.  I'm a believer, hallelujah!

- A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
Pentecostal pastor Mark Wolford, 44, hosted an outdoor service at the Panther Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia Sunday, which he touted on his Facebook page prior to the event.
"I am looking for a great time this Sunday," Wolford wrote May 22, according to the Washington Post. "It is going to be a homecoming like the old days. Good 'ole raised in the holler or mountain ridge running, Holy Ghost-filled speaking-in-tongues sign believers."
Robin Vanover, Wolford's sister, told the Washington Post that 30 minutes into the outdoor service, Wolford passed around a poisonous timber rattlesnake, which eventually bit him.
"He laid it on the ground," Vanover said in the interview, "and he sat down next to the snake, and it bit him on the thigh."
Vanover said Wolford was then transported to a family member's home in Bluefield about 80 miles away to recover. But as the situation worsened, he was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Jim Shires, owner of the Cravens-Shires Funeral Home in Bluefield, told ABC News that Wolford died Monday. Wolford's church, the Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka, will host a viewing Friday and a funeral service Saturday morning. Wolford will be buried at the Hicks Family Plot in Phelps, Ky.
Officials at the Panther Wildlife Management Area had been unaware of Sunday's event until they were notified by callers after the service.
"We did not know that this event was happening, and if we had known about it or if we had been asked for permission, permission would not have been granted," Hoy Murphy, public information officer for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, told ABC News.
Hoy said West Virginia state park rules prohibit animals other than dogs and cats on the property.
While snake-handling is legal in West Virginia, other Appalachian states, including Kentucky and Tennessee, have banned the practice in public spaces.
Snake-handlers point to scripture as evidence that God calls them to engage in such a practice to show their faith in him. Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Wolford told the Washington Post magazine in 2011 that he is carrying on the tradition of his ancestors by engaging in snake handling.
"Anybody can do it that believes it," Wolford said. "Jesus said, 'These signs shall follow them which believe.' This is a sign to show people that God has the power."
Wolford said watched his own father die at the age of 39 after a rattlesnake bit him during a similar service.
"He lived 10 1/2 hours," Wolford told the Washington Post Magazine. "When he got bit, he said he wanted to die in the church. Three hours after he was bitten, his kidneys shut down. After a while, your heart stops. I hated to see him go, but he died for what he believed in.
"I know it's real; it is the power of God," Wolford told the Washington Post Magazine last year. "If I didn't do it, if I'd never gotten back involved, it'd be the same as denying the power and saying it was not real."-

[falcon9]

We have no fear, the lord will protect us, we dance with poison snakes.  I'm a believer, hallelujah!

- A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.
Pentecostal pastor Mark Wolford, 44, hosted an outdoor service at the Panther Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia Sunday, which he touted on his Facebook page prior to the event.
"I am looking for a great time this Sunday," Wolford wrote May 22, according to the Washington Post. "It is going to be a homecoming like the old days. Good 'ole raised in the holler or mountain ridge running, Holy Ghost-filled speaking-in-tongues sign believers."
Robin Vanover, Wolford's sister, told the Washington Post that 30 minutes into the outdoor service, Wolford passed around a poisonous timber rattlesnake, which eventually bit him.
"He laid it on the ground," Vanover said in the interview, "and he sat down next to the snake, and it bit him on the thigh."
Vanover said Wolford was then transported to a family member's home in Bluefield about 80 miles away to recover. But as the situation worsened, he was taken to a hospital where he later died.
Jim Shires, owner of the Cravens-Shires Funeral Home in Bluefield, told ABC News that Wolford died Monday. Wolford's church, the Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka, will host a viewing Friday and a funeral service Saturday morning. Wolford will be buried at the Hicks Family Plot in Phelps, Ky.
Officials at the Panther Wildlife Management Area had been unaware of Sunday's event until they were notified by callers after the service.
"We did not know that this event was happening, and if we had known about it or if we had been asked for permission, permission would not have been granted," Hoy Murphy, public information officer for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, told ABC News.
Hoy said West Virginia state park rules prohibit animals other than dogs and cats on the property.
While snake-handling is legal in West Virginia, other Appalachian states, including Kentucky and Tennessee, have banned the practice in public spaces.
Snake-handlers point to scripture as evidence that God calls them to engage in such a practice to show their faith in him. Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Wolford told the Washington Post magazine in 2011 that he is carrying on the tradition of his ancestors by engaging in snake handling.
"Anybody can do it that believes it," Wolford said. "Jesus said, 'These signs shall follow them which believe.' This is a sign to show people that God has the power."
Wolford said watched his own father die at the age of 39 after a rattlesnake bit him during a similar service.
"He lived 10 1/2 hours," Wolford told the Washington Post Magazine. "When he got bit, he said he wanted to die in the church. Three hours after he was bitten, his kidneys shut down. After a while, your heart stops. I hated to see him go, but he died for what he believed in.
"I know it's real; it is the power of God," Wolford told the Washington Post Magazine last year. "If I didn't do it, if I'd never gotten back involved, it'd be the same as denying the power and saying it was not real."-

*whoops*

That's "faith" for ya'll alright.

[alaric99x]

I can't find the exact quote right now, but there are a lot of good quotes from Nietzsche.  Anyway, one quote mentioned the fact that if they believe so much in going to join their god, then why don't they all go right now?

The snake dancers went to their god a little earlier.  However, might this perhaps be considered tantamount to suicide, and doesn't the bible specifically prohibit that, and doesn't the act of suicide deny you a place in heaven?  So what do the christians say, those studious students of biblical verse, are the snake dancers guaranteed a place in heaven, or condemned to hell through the technicality of animal induced suicide?

[JediJohnnie]

[falcon9]

Here's a pseudo-koan: Why does the spurious picture which 'sithjohnnie' posted look remarkably like the non-spurious ...

... ?

[alaric99x]

Is that all he ever says, "haters gonna hate?"  Not exactly the height of eloquence, not what you might call a towering intellect.  It might not be a bad idea if he attended some classes in preparation for his G.E.D. tests.  Bon chance, mon frere!

[madeara]

I am a Christian.  However, I don't believe in snake handling.  The Lord gave us minds to think and doesn't expect us to engage in risky behavior.  Have a great day!

[Falconer02]

your God actually does have ppl do dangerous activities... such as war in his name and that he backs up? also he had jesus die on the cross... also he tempted some guy to kill his son... and gives ppl diseases to battle... i would say alot of those are risky...

I'm glad you brought this up because I too am reminded of the sick Abraham and Isaac tale. Christians tend to believe this is a loving tale showing devotion to ones god, but never for a second even realize how horrific it is. Seriously, it's something you'd see in the plotline to a horror movie. A god that asks you to sacrifice anyone is completely evil by default-- especially your young son. I'm uncertain on how anyone could say different, unless you're into that whole wicked idea of sacrificing people in the name of your god (creeeeepyyyy....)

If this tale were told in order for it to actually be a loving tale with a heroic twist, Abraham would find out that it's only a demon disguised as Abe's god asking him to murder his son rather than the god he worships, and willfully rejects the command because he loves his son. The kind god then finds out and rewards Abraham for using his intelligence rather than willfully obeying an immoral plea from a demon disguised as this god. Wouldn't that make the story more appealing? The fact that I improved this fubar tale in 2 sentences shows how schlocky the OT is. And you people preach this stuff!  

[Abrupt]

your God actually does have ppl do dangerous activities... such as war in his name and that he backs up? also he had jesus die on the cross... also he tempted some guy to kill his son... and gives ppl diseases to battle... i would say alot of those are risky...

I'm glad you brought this up because I too am reminded of the sick Abraham and Isaac tale. Christians tend to believe this is a loving tale showing devotion to ones god, but never for a second even realize how horrific it is. Seriously, it's something you'd see in the plotline to a horror movie. A god that asks you to sacrifice anyone is completely evil by default-- especially your young son. I'm uncertain on how anyone could say different, unless you're into that whole wicked idea of sacrificing people in the name of your god (creeeeepyyyy....)

If this tale were told in order for it to actually be a loving tale with a heroic twist, Abraham would find out that it's only a demon disguised as Abe's god asking him to murder his son rather than the god he worships, and willfully rejects the command because he loves his son. The kind god then finds out and rewards Abraham for using his intelligence rather than willfully obeying an immoral plea from a demon disguised as this god. Wouldn't that make the story more appealing? The fact that I improved this fubar tale in 2 sentences shows how schlocky the OT is. And you people preach this stuff!  

There was nothing sick about this.  You must understand the relationship between this event and Jesus.  I don't really understand why those that do not believe in the bible and apparently haven't studied it to any degree would spend so much time speculating and making uneducated guesses about what something is or isn't or means or doesn't.  Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive.

[Falconer02]

There was nothing sick about this.  You must understand the relationship between this event and Jesus.

According to the biblical story, God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. (Genesis 22:5 and 22:. After Isaac is bound to an altar, the angel of God stops Abraham at the last minute, saying "now I know you fear God." At this point Abraham sees a ram caught in some nearby bushes and sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binding_of_Isaac

If you consider this to be a truthful story or one of ancient mythology, no matter how much you try to throw technicalities in (as you did here), it still shows a god who demands sacrifice, so if you wish to go into it, let me stress emphasis on that major point. The fact that people who follow and preach this story shows a strange satisfaction with delusional and barbaric thinking. Perhaps they completely ignore the obvious immoral behavior and rather focus on the timeline of events that follow.

I don't really understand why those that do not believe in the bible and apparently haven't studied it to any degree would spend so much time speculating and making uneducated guesses about what something is or isn't or means or doesn't.

I had taken a course on religions a while back and this story was brought up while studying the OT. The teacher asked an odd question to one of the students who was a professed christian--
if he would sacrifice his sons or daughters if he had heard god tell him to. He happily replied "Of course" which followed with the majority of the class staring at him strangely. One person spoke up a few seconds later saying that his response was immoral, and I agreed completely. That's when I realized how poorly this story is constructed as far as having a good deity.

"Kill your son! lol jk! This little show is just a parallel of things to come!"

Fortunately such delusional behavior today is met with punishment-
http://articles.cnn.com/2004-04-03/justice/children.slain_1_deanna-laney-jury-rules-god?_s=PM:LAW

Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive

The attempt at a personal attack aside, I'm a moral critic of this sort of stuff when it's brought up. If it's a tale of any sorts, I like to improve it (friends who write scripts for example). Certainly there's nothing unhealthy or unproductive of spotting immoral behavior that's being promoted, dontcha think? It makes for a good discussion.

[falcon9]

I am a Christian.  However, I don't believe in snake handling.

What are you implying; that pentacostals are not xtians because they do believe in snake handling? 

The Lord gave us minds to think and doesn't expect us to engage in risky behavior. 

Such unsupported assumptions are internally-inconsistant.  Either people have "free will" and the ability to make choices or, they don't and are 'expected' to conform to the expectations of some hypothetical egregore/supernatural entity despite having "minds to think".


“The meme for blind faith secures its own perpetuation by the simple unconscious expedient of discouraging rational inquiry.”
-- Richard Dawkins

[falcon9]

Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive.

The attempt at a personal attack aside, I'm a moral critic of this sort of stuff when it's brought up. Certainly there's nothing unhealthy or unproductive of spotting immoral behavior that's being promoted, dontcha think? It makes for a good discussion.

Perhaps he's unintentionally emphasizing that obsessive and compulsive bible-thumping is unhealthy and unprodictive, instead of applying more productive critical thinking skills to the dubious collection of documents.

[Abrupt]

There was nothing sick about this.  You must understand the relationship between this event and Jesus.

According to the biblical story, God commands Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. (Genesis 22:5 and 22:. After Isaac is bound to an altar, the angel of God stops Abraham at the last minute, saying "now I know you fear God." At this point Abraham sees a ram caught in some nearby bushes and sacrifices the ram instead of Isaac.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binding_of_Isaac

If you consider this to be a truthful story or one of ancient mythology, no matter how much you try to throw technicalities in (as you did here), it still shows a god who demands sacrifice, so if you wish to go into it, let me stress emphasis on that major point. The fact that people who follow and preach this story shows a strange satisfaction with delusional and barbaric thinking. Perhaps they completely ignore the obvious immoral behavior and rather focus on the timeline of events that follow.

I don't really understand why those that do not believe in the bible and apparently haven't studied it to any degree would spend so much time speculating and making uneducated guesses about what something is or isn't or means or doesn't.

I had taken a course on religions a while back and this story was brought up while studying the OT. The teacher asked an odd question to one of the students who was a professed christian--
if he would sacrifice his sons or daughters if he had heard god tell him to. He happily replied "Of course" which followed with the majority of the class staring at him strangely. One person spoke up a few seconds later saying that his response was immoral, and I agreed completely. That's when I realized how poorly this story is constructed as far as having a good deity.

"Kill your son! lol jk! This little show is just a parallel of things to come!"

Fortunately such delusional behavior today is met with punishment-
http://articles.cnn.com/2004-04-03/justice/children.slain_1_deanna-laney-jury-rules-god?_s=PM:LAW

Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive

The attempt at a personal attack aside, I'm a moral critic of this sort of stuff when it's brought up. If it's a tale of any sorts, I like to improve it (friends who write scripts for example). Certainly there's nothing unhealthy or unproductive of spotting immoral behavior that's being promoted, dontcha think? It makes for a good discussion.

You don't understand the scripture.  You don't see the relevance to Jesus.  Was Issac sacrificed?  You don't understand the scripture and its meaning and yet you readily make judgements about it and attempt to cast insults at those that do believe and understand it.  You don't even care if you show your ignorance either but you still fill somehow qualified to label the event as sick and to attach such a vile interpretation on those who believe. 

That was less of a personal attack than your attempts to insult and ridicule me for my beliefs.  One such as you that takes nearly every opportunity to engage in such things should not wear their heart on their sleeves.  I can hardly believe the hypocrisy you demonstrate here to make such a claim.  Purely irrational, self delusional, and ridiculous.

[Abrupt]

Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive.

The attempt at a personal attack aside, I'm a moral critic of this sort of stuff when it's brought up. Certainly there's nothing unhealthy or unproductive of spotting immoral behavior that's being promoted, dontcha think? It makes for a good discussion.

Perhaps he's unintentionally emphasizing that obsessive and compulsive bible-thumping is unhealthy and unprodictive, instead of applying more productive critical thinking skills to the dubious collection of documents.

Of course falcon9, the most religious person here, would have to chirp in as well.  You preach more than anyone I know and yet you still have the nerve to accuse others of "obsessive and compulsive bible-thumping".  That you are so blind in your faith that you cannot see what you do is the most hysterically funny thing I can imagine.  You are the butt of your own joke.

[falcon9]

Normally such obsessions are called addictions, are they not -- regardless they are certainly unhealthy and unproductive ...
... the scripture ... my beliefs ... Purely irrational, self delusional, and ridiculous.

{sequential semi-contextual quoting done to emphasize a previous point}